Pieter Wispelwey Pieter was born in Haarlem in the Netherlands in 1962 and grew up with his two younger brothers in Santpoort, where his parents still live. Pieter's diverse musical personality is rooted in the training he received-firstly from regular exposure from a ver

The cello sonatas of Beethoven must be familiar to any lover of the instrument. But many people see these works as the logical product of a creative artist: first comes the inspiration, and then hard work takes care of the rest. So why are there no cello sonatas by Haydn or Mozart, for example? There seems to be no obvious answer, but therein lies the clue. The classical sonata, incorporating a genuine dialogue of instruments, had not yet achieved its definitive form by 1800. For the most part, the general public is full of praise for Beethoven’s symphonies, concerti, and quartets, but they forget that he was also virtually the first composer to produce a classical cello sonata....

(...) incomparable performance (...) (...) and the marvellously relaxed finale has just the right amount of lift in the Hungarian rhythms. CD review

(...) When it comes to the great Schubert Quintet, many are called but few are chosen. Knowing the work of the Orpheus Quartet, I approached this recording with keen anticipation and wasn’t disappointed. (...) CD Review

(...) Apart from enjoying the exceptional musicality of these performances, one is struck by the growth in Beethoven’s style, almost variation by variation (...) (...) Both players blend in to a beautiful unity(...) (...) Channel’s sonics are marvelous, and the jacket notes brim with useful insights, in English, Dutch, German and French. A great recording! Highest recommendation.(...) In Tune, February 1995

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The cello sonatas of Beethoven must be familiar to any lover of the instrument. But many people see these works as the logical product of a creative artist: first comes the inspiration, and then hard work takes care of the rest. So why are there no cello sonatas by Haydn or Mozart, for example? There seems to be no obvious answer, but therein lies the clue. The classical sonata, incorporating a genuine dialogue of instruments, had not yet achieved its definitive form by 1800. For the most part, the general public is full of praise for Beethoven’s symphonies, concerti, and quartets, but they forget that he was also virtually the first composer to produce a classical cello sonata....

The cello sonatas of Beethoven must be familiar to any lover of the instrument. But many people see these works as the logical product of a creative artist: first comes the inspiration, and then hard work takes care of the rest. So why are there no cello sonatas by Haydn or Mozart, for example? There seems to be no obvious answer, but therein lies the clue. The classical sonata, incorporating a genuine dialogue of instruments, had not yet achieved its definitive form by 1800. For the most part, the general public is full of praise for Beethoven’s symphonies, concerti, and quartets, but they forget that he was also virtually the first composer to produce a classical cello sonata....

Pieter Wispelwey Pieter was born in Haarlem in the Netherlands in 1962 and grew up with his two younger brothers in Santpoort, where his parents still live. Pieter's diverse musical personality is rooted in the training he received-firstly from regular exposure from a ver

The cello sonatas of Beethoven must be familiar to any lover of the instrument. But many people see these works as the logical product of a creative artist: first comes the inspiration, and then hard work takes care of the rest. So why are there no cello sonatas by Haydn or Mozart, for example? There seems to be no obvious answer, but therein lies the clue. The classical sonata, incorporating a genuine dialogue of instruments, had not yet achieved its definitive form by 1800. For the most part, the general public is full of praise for Beethoven’s symphonies, concerti, and quartets, but they forget that he was also virtually the first composer to produce a classical cello sonata....

(...) incomparable performance (...) (...) and the marvellously relaxed finale has just the right amount of lift in the Hungarian rhythms. CD review

(...) When it comes to the great Schubert Quintet, many are called but few are chosen. Knowing the work of the Orpheus Quartet, I approached this recording with keen anticipation and wasn’t disappointed. (...) CD Review

(...) Apart from enjoying the exceptional musicality of these performances, one is struck by the growth in Beethoven’s style, almost variation by variation (...) (...) Both players blend in to a beautiful unity(...) (...) Channel’s sonics are marvelous, and the jacket notes brim with useful insights, in English, Dutch, German and French. A great recording! Highest recommendation.(...) In Tune, February 1995